The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical contacts for interconnecting electrical components and circuit boards, and more particularly to electrical contacts configured to engage thru-holes of circuit boards using axial forces.
Electrical connectors and components may be interconnected to circuit boards using electrical contacts that form a mechanical and electrical coupling with the circuit board. For example, circuit boards generally include a substrate having a plurality of thru-holes extending through a thickness of the substrate with a uniform diameter. The thru-holes are typically “plated,” i.e., covered with a conductive material. Traces or other conductive pathways may be coupled to the conductive material of the thru-hole to form an electrical pathway from the thru-hole and throughout the circuit board. To connect the circuit board to an electrical component, such as a connector, electrical contacts from the connector are inserted into the thru-holes. Each contact forms an interference fit within a passage of the thru-hole. For example, eye-of-needle compliant contacts include a pair of members that exert a radially outward force against an interior surface of the passage.
However, the compliant contacts may require that the passage of the thru-hole extend at least a predetermined length (e.g., 1.2 millimeters) in order to make sufficient mechanical and electrical contact. Such lengths may negatively affect transmission through the thru-holes. Furthermore, the interconnection between the compliant contacts and the interior surfaces of the passages may have electrical limitations when used in certain applications, such as high-speed applications.
Accordingly, there is a need for electrical contacts capable of mechanically and electrically connecting to thru-holes having passages with limited lengths. There is also a need for electrical contacts that are capable of mechanically and electrically connecting to thru-holes using other methods than used by known compliant contacts. In addition, there is a need for electrical contacts that perform better in high-speed applications than the known compliant contacts.